Promoting strong public schools for Providence\’s East Side and beyond

Another Round of Bumping

Today’s Providence Journal reports that layoff notices have been delivered to 600 Providence teachers. There are about 2,000 teachers in the system.

According to the ProJo, and consistent with past years, most of the teachers will eventually be hired back. Current plans provide for the elimination of 66 positions, which accounts for only 11% of the pink slips. The remainder of the pink slips are a consequence of state laws, district policies and contract provisions. These require that the 1) School Department release teachers in Feburary that it is not sure it can pay for 2) The School Department will not know what it can afford until the state budget is done in June 3) by state law, layoffs are done by seniority 4) Senior teachers whose positions are eliminated displace or “bump” junior teachers from their positions. This cascades down the seniority line until it reaches the most junior teacher, who may be actually laid off. Deputy Superintendent Tomas Hanna explained that “the district has to let go six English teachers. To reach that end, the department would actually have to give layoff notices to 42 teachers”

When everything settles out, teachers “bid” on open position at a job fair. Positions are “won” by waving a card with one’s date of hire and having the earliest date.

The process of bumping is highly inefficient, creates a great deal of disruption, and makes planning difficult. The merit of the teachers is never considered in the process, and we have seen award-winning and highly-praised teachers forced out. Junior teachers can be pink-slipped for years in a row, and some become demoralized and leave the system. The length and uncertainty of the process means that Providence loses qualified teachers to other systems.

Schools with site-based management, where principals are supposed to have more control over staffing, are not immune, according to the ProJo:

In the past, small site-based high schools, those with the supposed authority to hire their own teaching staff, have lost a third or more of their teachers because of seniority. That experience can wreak havoc with a school leader’s attempt to build school culture.

According to the ProJo story, Superintendent Evans recognizes the problems that the massive layoffs create and is working toward eliminating it.

“It’s an archaic exercise,” he said. “And the sooner we can remove that practice, the better. We are engaged in conversations [with the teachers’ union] that will lead to the end of that practice.”

As noted here earlier, the ESPEC steering committee has submitted legislation designed to end the practice of bumping. We are meeting with members of the General Assembly this week, and hope to report progress soon.